46A: Captain Wedderburns Courtship

46A.1 THE laird of Bristolls daughter was in the woods walking,
And by came Captain Wetherbourn, a servant to the king;
And he said to his livery man, Wert not against the law,
I would tak her to mine ain bed, and lay her neist the wa.
46A.2 Im into my fathers woods, amongst my fathers trees,
O kind sir, let mee walk alane, O kind sir, if you please;
The butlers bell it will be rung, and Ill be mist awa;
Ill lye into mine ain bed, neither at stock nor wa.
46A.3 O my bonny lady, the bed its not be mine,
For Ill command my servants for to call it thine;
The hangings are silk satin, the sheets are holland sma,
And wes baith lye in ae bed, but yous lye neist the wa.
46A.4 And so, my bonny lady, -+-I do not know your name,-+-
But my names Captain Wetherburn, and Im a man of fame;
Tho your father and a his men were here, I would na stand in awe
To tak you to mine ain bed, and lay you neist the wa.
46A.5 Oh my bonny, bonny lady, if youll gie me your hand,
You shall hae drums and trumpets to sound at your command;
Wi fifty men to guard you, sae weel their swords can dra,
And wees baith lye in ae bed, but yous lye neist the wa.
46A.6 Hes mounted her upon a steid, behind his gentleman,
And he himself did walk afoot, to had his lady on,
With his hand about her midle sae jimp, for fear that she should fa;
She man lye in his bed, but shell not lye neist the wa.
46A.7 Hes taen her into Edinburgh, his landlady cam ben:
And monny bonny ladys in Edinburgh hae I seen,
But the like of this fine creature my eyes they never sa;
O dame bring ben a down-bed, for shes lye neist the wa.
46A.8 Hold your tongue, young man, she said, a+end dinna trouble me,
Unless you get to my supper, and that is dishes three;
Dishes three to my supper, tho I eat nane at a,
Before I lye in your bed, but I winna lye neist the wa.
46A.9 You maun get to my supper a cherry but a stane,
And you man get to my supper a capon but a bane,
And you man get a gentle bird that flies wanting the ga,
Before I lye in your bed, but Ill not lye neist the wa.
46A.10 A cherry whan in blossom is a cherry but a stane;
A capon when hes in the egg canna hae a bane;
The dow it is a gentle bird that flies wanting the ga;
And ye man lye in my bed, between me and the wa.
46A.11 Hold your tongue, young man, she said, a+end dinna me perplex,
Unless you tell me questions, and that is questions six;
Tell me them as I shall ask them, and that is twa by twa,
Before I lye in your bed, but Ill not lye neist the wa.
46A.12 What is greener than the grass, whats higher than the tree?
Whats war than a womans wiss, whats deeper than the sea?
What bird sings first, and whereupon the dew down first does fa?
Before I lye in your bed, but Ill lye neist the wa.
46A.13 Virgus is greener than the grass, heavens higher than the tree;
The deils war than a womans wish, hells deeper than the sea;
The cock sings first, on the Sugar Loaf the dew down first does fa;
And ye man lye in my bed, betweest me and the wa.
46A.14 Hold your tongue, young man, she said, I pray you give it oer,
Unless you tell me questions, and that is questions four;
Tell me them as I shall ask them, and that is twa by twa,
Before I lye in your bed, but I winna lye neist the wa.
46A.15 You man get to me a plumb that does in winter grow;
And likewise a silk mantle that never waft gaed thro;
A sparrows horn, a priest unborn, this night to join us twa,
Before I lye in your bed, but I winna lye neist the wa.
46A.16 There is a plumb in my fathers yeard that does in winter grow;
Likewise he has a silk mantle that never waft gaed thro;
A sparrows horn, it may be found, theres ane in every tae,
Theres ane upo the mouth of him, perhaps there may be twa.
46A.17 The priest is standing at the door, just ready to come in;
Nae man could sae that he was born, to lie it is a sin;
For a wild boar bored him mothers side, he out of it did fa;
And you man lye in my bed, between me and the wa.
46A.18 Little kent Grizey Sinclair, that morning when she raise,
Twas to be the hindermost of a her single days;
For now shes Captain Wetherburns wife, a man she never saw,
And she man lye in his bed, but shell not lye neist the wa.

46B: Captain Wedderburns Courtship

46B.1 THE Lord of Rosslyns daughter gaed through the wud her lane,
And there she met Captain Wedderburn, a servant to the king.
He said unto his livery-man, Weret na agen the law,
I wad tak her to my ain bed, and lay her at the wa.
46B.2 Im walking here my lane, she says, amang my fathers trees;
And ye may lat me walk my lane, kind sir, now gin ye please.
The supper-bell it will be rung, and Ill be missd awa;
Sae Ill na lie in your bed, at neither stock nor wa.
46B.3 He said, My pretty lady, I pray lend me your hand,
And yell hae drums and trumpets always at your command;
And fifty men to guard ye wi, that weel their swords can draw;
Sae well baith lie in ae bed, and yell lie at the wa.
46B.4 Haud awa frae me, kind sir, I pray let go my hand;
The supper-bell it will be rung, nae langer maun I stand.
My father hell na supper tak, gif I be missd awa;
Sae Ill na lie in your bed, at neither stock nor wa.
46B.5 O my name is Captain Wedderburn, my name Ill neer deny,
And I command ten thousand men, upo yon mountains high.
Tho your father and his men were here, of them Id stand na awe,
But should tak ye to my ain bed, and lay ye neist the wa.
46B.6 Then he lap aff his milk-white steed, and set the lady on,
And a the way he walkd on foot, he held her by the hand;
He held her by the middle jimp, for fear that she should fa;
Saying, Ill tak ye to my ain bed, and lay thee at the wa.
46B.7 He took her to his quartering-house, his landlady looked ben,
Saying, Monie a pretty ladie in Edinbruch Ive seen;
But sic na pretty ladie is not into it a:
Gae, mak for her a fine down-bed, and lay her at the wa.
46B.8 O haud awa frae me, kind sir, I pray ye lat me be,
For Ill na lie in your bed till I get dishes three;
Dishes three maun be dressd for me, gif I should eat them a,
Before I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.
46B.9 Tis I maun hae to my supper a chicken without a bane;
And I maun hae to my supper a cherry without a stane;
And I maun hae to my supper a bird without a gaw,
Before I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.
46B.10 Whan the chickens in the shell, I am sure it has na bane;
And whan the cherrys in the bloom, I wat it has na stane;
The dove she is a genty bird, she flees without a gaw;
Sae well baith lie in ae bed, and yell be at the wa.
46B.11 O haud awa frae me, kind sir, I pray ye give me owre,
For Ill na lie in your bed, till I get presents four;
Presents four ye maun gie me, and that is twa and twa,
Before I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.
46B.12 Tis I maun hae some winter fruit that in December grew;
And I maun hae a silk mantil that waft gaed never through;
A sparrows horn, a priest unborn, this nicht to join us twa,
Before I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.
46B.13 My father has some winter fruit that in December grew;
My mither has a silk mantil the waft gaed never through;
A sparrows horn ye soon may find, theres ane on evry claw,
And twa upo the gab o it, and ye shall get them a.
46B.14 The priest he stands without the yett, just ready to come in;
Nae man can say he eer was born, nae man without he sin;
He was haill cut frae his mithers side, and frae the same let fa;
Sae well baith lie in ae bed, and yese lie at the wa.
46B.15 O haud awa frae me, kind sir, I pray dont me perplex,
For Ill na lie in your bed till ye answer questions six:
Questions six ye maun answer me, and that is four and twa,
Before I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.
46B.16 O what is greener than the gress, whats higher than thae trees?
O what is worse than womens wish, whats deeper than the seas?
What bird craws first, what tree buds first, what first does on them fa?
Before I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.
46B.17 Death is greener than the gress, heaven higher than thae trees;
The devils waur than womens wish, hells deeper than the seas;
The cock craws first, the cedar buds first, dew first on them does fa;
Sae well baith lie in ae bed, and yese lie at the wa.
46B.18 Little did this lady think, that morning whan she raise,
That this was for to be the last o a her maiden days.
But theres na into the kings realm to be found a blither twa,
And now shes Mrs. Wedderburn, and she lies at the wa.

46C: Captain Wedderburns Courtship

46C.1 THE laird of Roslins daughter walked thro the wood her lane,
And by came Captain Wedderburn, a servant to the Queen;
He said unto his serving man, Wert not agaynst the law,
I would tak her to my ain house as lady o my ha.
46C.2 He said, My pretty ladye, I pray give me your hand;
You shall have drums and trumpets always at your command;
With fifty men to guard you, that well their swords can draw,
And Ill tak ye to my ain bed, and lay you next the wa.
46C.3 Im walking in my feythers shaws: quo he, My charming maid,
I am much better than I look, so be you not afraid;
For I serve the queen of a Scotland, and a gentil dame is she;
So wese be married ere the morn, gin ye can fancy me.
46C.4 . . . . . .
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The sparrow shall toot on his horn, gif naething us befa,
And Ill mak you up a down-bed, and lay you next the wa.
46C.5 Now hold away from me, kind sir, I pray you let me be;
I wont be lady of your ha till you answer questions three;
Questions three you must answer me, and that is one and twa,
Before I gae to Woodlands house, and be lady o your ha.
46C.6 You must get me to my supper a chicken without a bone;
You must get me to my supper a cherry without a stone;
You must get me to my supper a bird without a ga,
Before I go to Woodlands house and be lady of your ha.
46C.7 When the cherry is in the bloom, Im sure it has no stone;
When the chickens in the shell, Im sure it has nae bone;
The dove she is a gentil bird, and flies without a ga;
So Ive answered you your questions three, and youre lady of my ha.
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46C.8 Questions three you must answer me: Whats higher than the trees?
And what is worse than womans voice? Whats deeper than the seas?
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46C.9 He answered then so readily: Heavens higher than the trees;
The devils worse than womans voice; hells deeper than the seas;
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46C.10 One question still you must answer me, or you I laugh to scorn;
Go seek me out an English priest, of woman never born;
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46C.11 Oh then, quo he, My young brother from mothers side was torn,
And hes a gentil English priest, of woman never born;
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46C.12 Little did his lady think, that morning when she raise,
It was to be the very last of all her mayden days;
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